


“Happy Christmas,” “I love You,”

by draig_aswec



Series: Hold Your Hand [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Aged up characters, Angst, Christmas fic, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Get Together, I’m gonna make a whole world around this, M/M, Married Percy and Annabeth, NO DEATHS, Not a soulmate AU, Pining, SO MUCH FLUFF, just Frank and Nico being best friends and soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 20:24:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17210312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draig_aswec/pseuds/draig_aswec
Summary: When Nico bails on the group Christmas plans Frank, ever the amazing friend, takes it upon himself to make sure Nico gets his gift.And maybe Frank will get a happy ever after





	“Happy Christmas,” “I love You,”

It’s six-thirty when all the seven heroes are hanging out a Percy and Annabeth’s apartment for a Christmas dinner. A week late but oh well. It was the first time they were all to together since Percy’s and Annabeth’s wedding. While they had all seen each other since it had still always been two or three heroes meeting up, never all seven let alone the addition on Thalia, Reyna and Rachel, certainly not with Hedge cutting a ham while his wife and Annabeth played with the baby in their arms. The only person who wasn’t sitting at the table, laughing with friends, was Nico. Who as usual bailed. Even though he lived the closest.

 

Why? Well don’t ask Frank he’s been trying to find out where the younger was since he showed up.

 

It was three years ago when Frank accepted his crush on the Italian. Not that he would ever dream of acting on his feelings, but he accepted them. One night hanging out in Frank’s apartment after a few games of Mythomagic when Frank was eighteen and Nico was seventeen.

 

It was only a month after everything ended that Hazel and he agreed that they were better as friends.

 

Once the others began to tear into the gifts, Frank smiled and relaxed. Percy, Jason and Leo all loved the knitted jumpers and socks. Because Frank gives the gifts one expects from their grandmother, but with curses and rock band names instead of kitten and reindeer. Annabeth marvelled at the glass chess set and threw her hands around him with a grin. Piper looked amazed at the book he got her, Cherokee stories translated to greek (so she could read them with her dyslexia), he had called in a favour. And Hazel ran and hugged him as soon as she saw the handmade dress that was in the box. Thalia half smile at the arrows he made her. Rachel’s hug when she saw the new bushes he bought her. Reyna had been given her own sweater the night before after work but she looked amazing in it that night.

 

And of course, he smiled at all the sweet gift his friends got him, but he was still thinking about the small box, wrapped in black and gold paper, that was sitting in his duffel bag. he was thinking about if Nico would hug him if he opened it. If he could make the boy smile.

 

After gifts and the coach took his family back home, everyone went to guest rooms except for Frank and Leo. Though Leo headed back to his own apartment.

 

So that's where he is now, at nine pm. Standing in front of Nico’s apartment two floors down, in his Smith’s sweater and a Santa hat.

 

KNOCK! KNOCK! KOCK!

 

Part of him was praying Nico hadn't answered the door once it swung open to reveal the younger boy. The other part was thanking Aphrodite that he did. Nico was wearing grey sweatpants and an old looking band tee, the cure, his hair was as wild as always and he had on fluffy looking purple socks.

 

”Hi, Frank?” the younger voice was laced with confusion as he stared at the taller man, ”what's up, why aren't you at the party?”

 

”Not much of a party without everyone's favourite Ghost King, ”

 

”I doubted anyone would even notice, ” he was looking down voice low. He honestly thought the others wouldn't care.

 

”Sorry to burst your little emo bubble but I definitely noticed, I came over to bring you your gift, ” Nico’s head shot up eyes wide.

 

”Why don't you come in, ” he half whispered, ”I actually have something for you too, ” he stepped back allowing Frank to take in the apartment. He hadn’t been here since the younger moved in, Nico usually came to his.

 

The walls were painted a medium brown and the ceiling was covered fairy lights. There were three or four comfy looking chairs and a small couch. All with pillows and small blankets were thrown over them. It was wide and open full of rich colours and art. Paintings and photographs covered the walls. The kitchen was in a separate area and so where the bedrooms also he couldn’t see anything else. But when he saw the framed picture of all of the at Disney world from last year, Frank couldn't help but smile.

 

”So, I’m gonna go get your gift, it's in the broom closet, just sit down anywhere, ” Nico suggested waving his arms awkwardly.

 

Once Frank set down he watched Nico, who was visibly taking deep calming breaths as he held a small box. Frank couldn't help but mimic it, fingers clenching around the sides of Nico’s gift.

 

Nico quickly walked over too him once he had calmed down, and set next to Frank holding two boxes, one smaller than the gift Frank had for him and the other a bit larger, but shorter. ”Happy Christmas, Frank, ” he said holding the gifts out.

 

”Happy Christmas Nico. ”

 

When Frank opened the larger box his heart stopped, he was sure of it. in the box, there were three drawings. The first one was from the night Frank realised he has fallen for the other man, it showed Frank setting in his old Guns n’ Roses hoodie holding a pillow and smiling while a shadowy Nico hanged upside down in a chair, smiling back. The second was just of Frank, standing tall in a meeting with Reyna, he wasn't sure which one, Nico often attended their meetings. The third was something that hadn't happened, it was Frank’s and Nico’s hands clasped on top of what looked like sheets, every detail of it was perfect from the thin fading scars on his wrist to the tiny gems on Nico’s skull ring.

 

”Gods, these are absolutely beautiful Nico, did you do these?” the elder asked once he regained his voice.

 

”Yeah, um I draw a lot, and um, ” he paused, swallowing, ”I like to draw beautiful things, ”

 

Frank blushed, all red cheeks and bashful smiles when he set towards opening the second gift. It was a ring simple a black metal on the inside, the top of the out outer side was good and the bottom silver, with two small gems, a black one and a red one.

 

Frank turned to Nico to see the younger staring into the box. Frank suddenly felt very insecure about the gift. A mixtape on a cd, full of songs that made him think of Nico, a pair of brown socks that had the words ”Fuck Off” knitted on them, the O’s being replaced by little skulls, copies of the few polaroids the two had together, and a book of poems, not a store bought one, a little collection of ones Frank wrote for Nico.

 

Slowly, Nico set the box down next to him, taking Frank’s gifts out of his hands and setting them down as well before hugging the son of Mars.

 

”Thank you, ” Nico whispered in his ear, voice low, soft like it had been all night. his arms were tight around Frank’s shoulders and his nose buried in the Asian man's neck. Frank kept his arms tight around Nico’s waist, enjoying the way they felt next to each other.

 

“Your the best friend I’ve ever had,” he said with a small smile, holding up a hand to silence Frank when he tried to respond, “which is why I hate to tell you this.I know it’s a dead end, or completely pointless which is why I am not acting on it but Frank I cannot be friends with you,” once again he held up a hand and shook his head when Frank made an offended sound and tried to argue, “ I can’t. Frank, I love you,”

 

“I love you too, man. Why can’t we be friends? ” Frank half shouted at Nico, who sighed heavily before giving a defeated look. Frank has stood up and begun running his hands through his hair. He looked absolutely lost.

 

Nico opened his mouth to say something then closed it looking at Frank for a moment before grabbing him by his shirtand making him sit down.

 

“Frank Zhang, I am in love with you,” his voice ended up cracking halfway through the word love. Frank blinked slowly trying to wrap his mind around the younger’s words. “and I am asking you as someone who is kind and compassionate to give me space to get over you, because I look at you and I hear skips beats and my knees feel weak, because you throw your arm around me and my stomach feels with butterflies, because you smile and I think about kissing you. Frank, I love you.” When he finished Nico closed his eyes taking a deep breath and tried not to start crying or embarrass himself farther.

 

He opened them again when he heard Frank take a deep breath as well, “Nico,” his voice was soft and slow, he was talking to him the way he talks to your campers when they are scared. Nico loved hearing that voice when he was having panic attacks. He loved Franks' voice.

 

Frank reached out a hand caressing the younger ’s cheek before giving him a soft kiss. It was short, maybe ten seconds but it held more emotion then could ever be explained. And when the separated both instantly wanted to sway closer again, but Frank had one more thing he needed to say tonight. Just to make sure Nico knew just how he felt, “I love you too,”


End file.
